This painting reminds me of the Billy Collins poem that we read during the second “Poetry Wednesday.” The poem “Man Listening to Disc” reminds me not only of jazz music in general, but a journey. In each book we read this year, there was journey that every character was on, whether it was Richard Hunter trying to make it somewhere higher in society, or Jay Gatsby on a mission to impress the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. This poem is about listening to jazz music, particularly Sonny Rollins, and the poem is called “Le Jazz”, which I think already draws a connection. In the top right of the painting Sonny Rollins is spitting out his smooth and sticky saxophone phrases. Art Taylor sits in the front right of the painting, taking everyone through the journey with his “cumbersome drums.” Billy Collins creates this gang of musicians surrounding the man walking down the street and I think this painting depicts that image perfectly. All the musicians in the painting are crammed in together, but still have order. I can perfectly see this painting in reality accompanying this man as he is “ambling along 44th Street.”
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